Missing Persons
by Doug2
Summary: The Charmed Ones travel to Scotland tracking down some missing Internet users. Please review!


Internet Evil

Sandy Bartlett sat in her dorm room pounding away at her computer.

"If I don't my responding to my advisor's comments to my thesis this week, I might as well kiss finishing my Masters this term good-bye," she said typing as fast as she could.

Sandy was one of the most striking girls on campus with long blond hair and the deepest blue eyes. Besides her beauty, she had a sharp wit and a sharp mind. She spent most of her free time cruising the highways of the Internet running down information for her Masters in Computer Science. After working most of the evening on her advisor's comments, she pushed away from the keyboard and rubbed her eyes.

"That's enough for now. I can re-check it in the morning. The prof won't be in his office until after noon anyway," she told herself.

Besides cruising the Internet doing research and corresponding with friends, Sandy had a taste for the weird and unusual. To relax, that evening she was perusing sites on ancient religions and came upon a page on ancient Druid mystics. It was a seldom-visited site and had had few hits on it.

"That looks pretty cool. Here's a file called "Ecstasy." Funny name. Doesn't sound Druid." she thought to herself. Curious she opened it up, though you remember what it did to the cat. A frame opened on her monitor continuing a myriad of ancient Druid symbols. Inside a gray fog formed that swirled around and around.

"Oh, how beautiful. It's almost hypnotic. Is that peat moss I smell? That's can't be, but it is very distinctive. Real weird!" Sandy said to herself.

The hypnotic effect of the fog got stronger and stronger as the swirling mist appeared more and more real. It appeared to get closer and closer. Then something reached out from the screen and grabbed Sandy.

"Oh my God. I'm falling. Yipes!' was all she could saw as she disappeared down a tunnel into the screen. The computer monitor brightened up quite a bit and then both the monitor and computer shorted out. The room got darker as the monitor went blank and everything was as quiet as a tomb. All that was left in the room was a smell of peat moss and a pair of shoes left by the victim.

Inspector Morris walked up to Halliwell Manor early one morning several days later. He knocked on the door and Piper answered it.

"Hello, Darryl. It's good to see you. Is it business or pleasure?" asked Piper.

"Hello, Piper. How's is my favorite witch? Unfortunately is it business, again. Are your sisters around?" he asked.

"Yep. Prue, Phoebe, we have company!" she called out as she escorted Morris into the conservatory.

"Hi, Inspector," chirped in Phoebe dressed for school.

"Good morning, Daryl," said Prue. "This is a surprise. How is everything down at headquarters?"

"Confusing, exasperating, weird! And as my experts in the weird, I thought a call might be in order," explained Darryl.

"SO what's the caper?" asked Phoebe.

"Yes, please sit down and tell us what happened," said Prue.

"OK. Here it goes. Four days ago I got a report of a missing person down on campus. A Miss Sandy Bartlett. She was in her dormitory working late. No one saw her leave her room. The door was locked from the inside. The only unusual thing was that her computer had burned out. Also there was a pair of shoes next to the computer. No clothes or toiletry articles had been taken and our police dogs could not find a trail leading from her room or a body lying in the area. It seemed like a typical missing persons case, until I ran a check on similar unsolved cases. It seems close to a hundred similar cases have occurred world-wide," explained Darryl.

"That is weird. Can you get us into her room?" asked Phoebe.

"It's been sealed off as a crime scene. I was planning on taking you there next. Do the three of you want to take a shot at it?" asked Darryl.

"We'll be happy to look into it. Phoebe, I can drop you off at class and then we can look into it," said Prue.

"Hey, you're not leaving me out of this one. Sounds like a quite a mystery!" said Phoebes

"UMMM. OK! Everyone into my car. We're heading back to college! Oh boy!" said Piper.

Inside the dorm room everything seemed normal. Her chose of decor was a little darker than some typical co-ed. There were posters of various ancient cults and rituals, Stonehenge, and the like on the wall.

"Wow. She seems to be on the fringes of our world," said Piper.

"No evidence of a struggle. It looks like she never even left the room. Her purse is still on the night stand," said Prue.

"We figured the same thing. No evidence of struggle, robbery, anything that would explain her disappearance," said Darryl.

"WOW! Look at the computer! What could have fried this thing? It's not just a power overload. If there was more than 110 volts in the electric line, other things would have blown, too. Both the lights and radio still work. This pile of junk looks like major high voltage went through it. Yuck!" said Phoebe.

Next to the computer was a half eaten sandwich. The bread was several days old, but Piper picked it up and dropped it. "Eww! What was in that sandwich?"

"Look's like tuna salad!" said Phoebe picking it up.

"That wasn't tuna I smelled, even if it had spoiled!" said Piper.

"Hmm. Something earthy, humus-y. UMM! Peat moss!" said Prue.

"Is that important?" asked Darryl.

"I don't know, but it's definitely a clue," said Prue.

"Hey, Darryl. I'd like to borrow the hard drive and try to reconstruct what she was last doing. I have a friend who could help us," asked Phoebe.

"Well, as long as we get it back." said Darryl. "Just don't keep it too long."

"Great! You're one in a million, Darryl. I think we're done here." said Phoebe.

"My cases working with you definitely are one in a million. Come on my little coven. I still can't believe this," he said.

"Believe us. It does really exist. And thanks again." said Prue as they headed out of the dorm taking the fried computer with them.

Down at Interlectic Systems, two lone figures work through the night. "That's about it, Phoebe sweetheart. Most of the lost data is coming up on the screen. The disk seemed quite full so the odds have it that what you're looking for is still there. Based upon the directory we have Windows 98, the help directory, an encyclopedia, class notes, phonebook, quite a few files on a thesis, poetry, HER DIARY, files on major ancient religions, photograph album, Internet files, ancient religion chant sound bytes. So was your pleasure?" asked Dan Faulkner.

"OK. What was the last thing she was working on? That may give us a hint," said Phoebe.

"No problem. Log into the internal clock. The system shut down at 02:43:52 hours. At 02:42:41 she had accessed the file on ancient Druid mystics called 'Ecstasy'. Sounds kinky," said Dan.

"It doesn't look like she was into anything sick. With her interest in the occult it seems to add up. Please bring up the site on the Internet, Dan. Then we can check out her last few moments," said Phoebe.

"No problemo. Accessing Internet. Typing in file address. Bringing up the file. Hey, Phoebes. Look at this it's really weird," said Dan.

"There is quite a set of figures around this fog thing in the middle," said Phoebe. "Run a copy of it for me."

"Check and done. But that fog seems to be getting more real. I...want..to..get..near..it..an-n-n-n-d-d-d-d-d..." screamed Dan as he fell toward the screen through some sort of inter-dimensional gateway.

"Dannnnnn!" screamed Phoebe as she was also sucked toward the vortex. Phoebe held tightly to the lab table as the pull got stronger and stronger. She lost her grip and fell toward the vortex as it collapsed before she reached it. Falling to the floor she hit her head and screamed for help. No one heard her since they were alone in the building. She felt very woozy and passed out on the cold tile floor.

"Wake up. Wake up, Miss. Miss," said someone shaking Phoebes. As she started coming to. She sat up. Rubbed her head and then remembered what happened. "Dan. Dan Faulkner just disappeared." she told him.

"You mean he ran out on you? That's not very nice to leave you unconscious like that. What were you doing in out lab as such a late hour?" asked the lab technician.

"Dan was helping me reconstruct some data form a hard drive that had gotten fried. It came from the university," said Phoebes now holding a wet compress on her aching head.

"Oh, one of our joint educational projects? That's good." said the technician.

Phoebe rubbed the back of her head. She had a splitting headache, but none of her injuries were serious. Next to the monitor were the loafers that Dan had been wearing.

"I don't think he ran off in this weather without these." Phoebe thought to himself. She stood up and noticed the printout of the web page. With no looking she took the paper, picked up the hard drive and headed from the building. Prue and Piper were having breakfast as Phoebe came waltzing in.

"Ah, there's our missing sister? Have a good romantic night?" asked Piper coyly.

"Only if you think lying all night unconscious on a tile floor is a good night," said Phoebes.

"Are you OK? Did you have a concussion?" asked Prue coming over to check Phoebes head.

"No, no. I'm all right. I think. We have got bigger problems. While Dan and I were looking over the Internet cruising of Sandy Bartlett, Dan got sucked into the monitor and disappeared. I was almost turned into data bytes myself," said Phoebe.

"Hey. Ummm. Let me get this straight. The computer ate, Dan? That's pretty wild, my little sister who claims to have no concussion." said Piper cutely.

"Of course it sounds crazy. People aren't just digitalized and turned into ones and zeroes. And yet some kind of gray mist reached out and pulled Dan in through the monitor screen. The force almost pulled me through, too. When I awoke, the only thing left of Dan was his shoes!" concluded Phoebe.

"HIS SHOES! Just like in the dorm. Sandy Bartlett had left her shoes, too! We have some kind of connection here!" said Prue.

"The "thing" provides his victims with their own footwear? All of them have their own foot fetish? His victims have poor taste in shoes? What?" said Piper.

"I don't KNOW! It's just a clue!" said Prue.

"Prue's Clues? Sounds familiar. OK. I do have something else. Here are the Druid symbols that encircled the strange fog that grabbed Dan. We need to decipher them," said Phoebe.

"I'll go do that. I'm the Halliwell with the free time right now. Phoebes, you clean up and get to school And DON'T go accessing that web page either." said Prue.

"No way, Prue. I plan on staying here, in this dimension," said Phoebes as she ran upstairs.

"Definitely one of our weirder cases. Why so I start to feel like Dr. Watson?" quipped Piper.

Prue put on her glasses as she started going through some old dusty books on the Druid language. One thing Prue loved to do was to dig into old historical mysteries. That's what made her museum and auction house research so fascinating. This was the first real stimulating work she had had since walking out of Buckland's. She had to find herself a job before she died from the inactivity her unemployment had thrust upon her. As the pieces fell together she worked faster and faster. The grin on her face got a bigger and bigger.

"Wait until Phoebes and Piper she what I've found." said Prue.

Phoebe was helping Piper at P3 in the late afternoon. Prue came running in with a folder full of paper copies looking very pleased with herself.

"In the back quick!" she barked at them.

"Well, should be go Private Piper?" asked Phoebes in her cute small voice.

"After you, Private Phoebe. Paul, the bar is yours," said Piper.

"You bet, boss!" said Paul.

Spreads out all over Piper's desk were dozens of sheets of paper with all sorts of similar Druid symbols.

"BOY! DID I HIT PAY DIRT! Those Druids loved worshiping evil gods with strange rituals and blood sacrifices." said Prue.

"Yeech!" said Piper.

"Pretty disgusting. Anyway, the symbols on the screen indicate a warning that is great help since almost no one can decipher the message. It also refers to an evil something, demon, wood nymph, troll, whatever, that the Druids used to worship. His name was Gyntex. HE lived in the swamps and the peat bogs in northern England. His lair or temple was considered sacred ground. SO you had to remove YOUR SHOES!" said Prue triumphantly.

"Nice piece of detective work, Miss Holmes. You really hit the JACKPOT!" said Phoebe.

"Elementary, my dear Phoebe." said Prue bowing.

"Fine, we identified him. But how do we find him and where are all of his victims? Don't congratulate yourselves too much. We're only half way there." reminded Piper.

"OK. Let's check on the statistics available for the Druid main page. Go here, check there, open that, and voila. This site is so deep in the Internet. It's a wonder anyone would ever find it. It's configured so that no search engine would hit on it. Look here, in four years only 157 hits have been on the main page and 125 hits on the file we don't dare open. How many missing persons did Darryl identify?" asked Phoebe.

"Over a hundred. That seems to check. Where is this page managed from?' asked Prue.

"Um. At the University of Edinburgh. A Charles Dingan in the Department of Psychophysics. Let's see. He has a Doctorate in Ancient Religions and has several papers published. He seems to check out," said Phoebe.

"Anything on the ancient Druids?" asked Piper.

"Nothing specific. Though the university seems to be in the general area of the Druids," said Phoebe. "I say we at least contact this professor and ask him some general questions. Let's not spook him."

"SPOOK HIM? Phoebe, are you trying to be funny?" asked Piper cutely.

"NO. I just ..um.. Oh never mind!" said Phoebes just ignoring her sister.

" Edinburgh is about nine hours ahead of us. Set your alarm and we'll call him after midnight. I want to hear his side of the story. If he's too suspicious, then we may have to go there ourselves." said Prue.

"Hoot mon, lassie!" replied Piper.

Early the next morning, our gals were on their speakerphone. "Dr. Dingan? IS this Dr. Charles Dingan?" asked Prue.

"Yes, it is. May I help yew?" he replied.

"We're called from San Francisco, California. I was using your data base for the Druid religion," said Prue.

"Really? I haven't done anything with it for-r-r a couple of year-r-rs. It's r-r-really for my students use. For a cour-rse I donna even teach any more. May I ask your-r-r inter-rest in it." he inquired.

Phoebe said, "I'm the college student who found it. My name is Phoebe Halliwell. What can you tell me about the file named "Ecstasy." I couldn't get it to operate properly."

"Let me see. Let me see. I dinna seem to remember-r-r that file. Wait a minute. It had to dew with the final exam. I think that was the file name for the final in the course. Yew r-r-really inter-rested in that?" he asked puzzled.

"Well, did it have anything to do the Druid ..demon if you will.. Gyntex?" asked Phoebes.

"I thinka so. Ma stew-dents were drawin' par-rallels between the var-rious under-wor-rld char-ractors. Do yew want me to try and tur-r-rn up a copy of ma test, lass? I dinna think it is still on the ser-rver for that page." he asked.

"Yes, if you please. You can fax it to us in California at 415-555-4545. Thank you very much. You've been very kind." said Phoebes.

"Anything for a college stew-dent. I still dinna know what you needa it for. Good-bye lass." he said as the phone went dead.

"It a good thing I have a fax machine at P3. I just hope it's not forty pages long." said Piper.

"Most aren't. I just hope it gives as a lead," said Prue.

Later that next evening, "Nothing, there is absolutely nothing here to help us. Yes, it does mention our demon, but it's only one of a long line of demons the student's were supposed to draw parallels with. And none of it matches the warning we found on the screen. We're back where we started from." said Phoebes.

"Not necessarily. We should probably pay him a visit and do some searching on our own." said Prue.

"Prue, a vacation is not really in our budget now. Remember, you're not gainfully employed." reminded Piper.

"But there are missing people involved here." said Phoebes. "And it may take the full Power of Three to deal with them or him or whoever." said Phoebe.

"I'll check with Darryl. Maybe he can help," said Prue.

Two days later the Charmed Ones were winging there way to Scotland with two tickets courtesy of the San Francisco Police Department. Darryl had convinced the department that some on the site investigation would lead to help solving the disappearance. Phoebe looked out of the plane window with great excitement. While Prue and Piper had visited Europe before, Phoebe had never left the confines of the United States.

"Wow. Look at all that water. The Atlantic is sooo big. Cool! I am having just a great time." said Phoebes.

"Remember we have a serious job to do." said Prue reminding her.

"I know, but I feel like I've never been ANYWHERE. Hey, Piper! You feeling better, sweetie?" asked Phoebes putting her hand on Piper's lap.

"Ohhh. I'm feeling a little better. Flying is not my favorite way to...ump...travel. How much longer till we get there?" asked Piper with a little ting of green around her gills.

"Another two hours. We'll be landing at seven o'clock local time. You better get a little sleep before then or the jet lag will really knock you out." said Prue.

"I'm too high to sleep right now," said Phoebes. "A whole new country to see and a new demon to bust on top of it. Whoa!"

"I'll take a pill and maybe I will sleep a bit." said poor Piper.

The plane droned on, as the Charmed Ones got closer to the Scottish Highlands.

Once on the ground in Edinburgh, they rented a car and headed for the university.

"We'll start slowly and see if he has any problem with helping us. Let's just inquire about the demon first and if he is all right about that, we'll delve deeper into the web site," said Prue.

"That's fine with me, but Piper may sleep through the whole thing. If we need her power, it will take both of us to wake he up," said Phoebes.

"Oh let her sleep. It was a bad flight for her," said Prue.

"Then it's a good thing we don't ride brooms, she'd really be a bad

one sick witch." kidded Phoebes.

Prue chuckled a bit, but also gave her a dirty look.

The University of Edinburgh was a very old seat of learning. Many of the ancient buildings were covered with vines. It was a beautiful place to get an education Phoebes thought. The United States has nothing to match the campus, age or number of old buildings. The department of Psychophysics was actually in a newer building from the later part of the twentieth century. It looked like it had been pushed to the back of the mainstream of education. On the second floor was the office of Doctor Dingan. The ladies knocked.

"Yes, canna I help you, lassies?" said the doctor. He was a man of about sixty with grayish brown hair and a couple of day's growth of beard. He was a typical old-fashioned college professor.

"Dr. Dingan?" asked Prue.

"Yes? Your-r-r Yanks?" he asked.

"We spoke a few days ago about your web site on the Druids. I am Prue Halliwell and these are my sisters Piper and Phoebe," said Prue.

"Yew came a long way, lassies to see a br-roken down old college pr-r-rofessor. Please, wonta you come in?" he invited them.

"Thanks!" said Phoebes.

"Thank you very much!" said Prue.

"Yep, me too." said Piper drowsily.

"Now. What canna do fer you. Lassies." he asked with great interest.

"What can you tell us about the evil being Gyntex? It's very important," asked Phoebes.

"Is it now? A 3000-year-old legend? Well, then. There was never-r a wor-rse beastie then that lad. He terr-rorized the Druids with his threats. He lived down inna the muck and myrrra. said the professor.

"Would that be down in the peat bogs?" asked Phoebe.

"Ver-ry good, lass!" he said.

"Bingo!" said Phoebes.

"Anyway, thay supposedly built him a temple made fr-rom wood and peat. They would br-ring him food and human sacrifices. When they enter-red his pr-resent the Dr-riuds werr on the sac-rred ground. They had to remove their sandals and live the dir-r-rt on the soles of their-r-r feet outside,"

"Strike two," said Phoebes.

"Please, Phoebes, let him continue," said Prue. "What about the human sacrifices?'

"They really were for the altar-r-r. These people werr kept, um, held and gave continued life to the beastie. Without them he was power-rless. When he no longer—r-r needed them, he r-r-released them. But only after he had the power-r-r to ter-r-r-rorize them some mor-re." said Dr. Dingan.

"So there's still a chance we can get them back!' said Prue.

"Get WHO back, lassie?" said the professor.

"You better spell the beans!" said Piper.

"OK, we think that this "beastie" is alive and well and living or at least connected to your Internet web site." said Phoebes.

"That's daft, lassie. What I've been spinna for yourr-r-r enjoyment is old folk stor-ries. I may stody it, I dinna believe it's r-r-real." he said.

"OVER a hundred people have disappeared while using their computer, possibly using on your web site. We were at one incident site and I was almost sucked through a vortex when a friend of mine did disappear. In both incidents there was the scent of peat moss and the victim's shoes were left."

"That's a pr-r-retty wild story lass," said the professor.

"Here's a copy of the frame around your site now. This strange gray mist in the middle of the frame may be Gyntex. Can you read the symbols?" asked Prue.

"Hoot mon! It the Dr-ruid war-r-r-rning for all who dare tr-r-respass a temple or in this case use the web site. I dinna know how, but ther-re may be something to what yew say. HE did appear-r-r to the Druids in a mist. How did you get involved in this? You're not stew-dents, lasses." ha asked.

"Just think of us as modern ghost busters. We specialize in investigating the strange and unusual especially in disappearances and deaths." said Phoebes.

"Can we see your server that the site is on?" Phoebes asked.

"Of cour-rse, my lassie. Cum with me." he suggested.

Visiting the dark and damp basement, he took them to a room that contained the electrical equipment for the building. Off to the side as if an after thought was the building's computer equipment. It all appeared to be operating, but Phoebes was not so certain.

"Can you get your computer specialist over here? I'd like to verify the equipment and run a check on the transmission lines. I have a "feeling" that something isn't right here," said Phoebes.

"If you r-r-really think so. I'll go make the arr-rrangements," he said heading upstairs.

"Well, Phoebes?" asked Prue.

"I definitely sense something evil coming from the server. It needs a major checkout." she said.

Later, "Ser-rver seems to check out out. I dinna see any pr-roblem." said a young Scot name Shamus pecking away at his laptop. "All the lines also check out. I dinna see the pr-roblem you're lookin for. Let's check out the r-r-resistance," he said applying an ohmmeter to each line. "Ok. Ok. Ok. NO, that's not right. Line 4 seems to be losin a gr-rr-eat deal of current," he said.

"Where does that line go to?" asked Phoebes.

"It runs up to the stew-dent retreat house. I dinna know why the computer equipment wasn't r-r-removed. It hasn't been used in three year-r-rs." said Dr. Dingan.

"Excuse me, sir. The hardware has been taken, but there coulda be a short in the connection bux. That coulda account for the daft readin." said he young Scot.

"Or someone or something could be tapped into the line. Is this an above ground or underground line?" she asked.

"Underground." said the young Scot, "And someone could have tapped in, but I dinna get ya when ya said something!"

"Ya dina think lass, it's him?" said the old professor.

"It might be. You never know in our business," said Phoebes.

"What business is that?" asked Shamus.

"They say that they'rrrr the ghost busters!" said the old professor.

"Get out your walking shoes, we're walking the line." said Phoebes.

Out onto the soggy moor went the five intrepid explorers. Through a few buildings and back yards, out onto the thick bog and peat.

"Smell that peat. It's the same as I smelled back in San Francisco." said Phoebes.

"It is familiar, but I have smelled at a nursery. Wow. It's a lot more powerful hear. Whoa!" said Piper.

"Never did any field work like this befor-re. Out in a r-real field." said the computer technician.

Professor Dingan replied, "You've never been at an archaeological deeg befor-re. It can be anywhere in any climate and any ter-r-rain. That's the life!" he said though he didn't look like the outdoors type.

After about an hour of walking or three kilometers (1.8 miles) they sat down.

"That's pretty rough walking. You can't make much time," said Phoebes.

"Woow! I am beat. If I could do that exercise on my walker at home, I'd be using it only half as much." said Piper.

"Ther-re's nothing lak the moor-r-r anyplace in the wor-rld, except maybe fer the steppes in easter-rn R-r-russia during the ear-ly spring. It's a r-r-rough land, that tu-r-rn outa harda paple, lassies. Ther-re are morr legends and str-range stor-r-ries about this land than I encounter-r-r anywher-re in the war-old. If this a beastie like the Gyntex r-r-really exists, then it would be herrr." said the old professor.

"Let's move on, LADS AND LASSIES!" joked Mrs. McPheebs.

Almost another hour later they were still following the trail of the underground cable when they came to an extra boggy area. The cable went through it. The Shamus check the damp ground and found that the leak was definitely occurring in this boggy area. Phoebe went to the edge of the swampy area and dug down to the cable. It appeared intact. They all started to dig up the cable of within the bog itself. The water was cold and slimy. Five people stood in the water up to their knees. They dug it about half the cable when a fog started emitting from the bog.

"Everyone move!" shouted Phoebe.

The young Scot, the professor and Piper were deepest in the bog. Piper and the old professor disappeared in the bog, leaving only a hole in the grass where they had stood.

"Piper!" screamed Phoebes.

"Oh my God. Grab Shamus!" said Prue.

The other two sisters waded into the bog and grabbed his hands. At first they made some headway, until Prue and Phoebes felt their feet being pulled in.

"It's got me, Prue!" yelled Phoebes.

"Hang on" said Prue as she tried to pull them out with her power. But it was too late and the three up them also slipped beneath the moor.

When Phoebe regained consciousness, she first sensed the damp ground she was laying it. It smelled of peat, but didn't seem as deep and marshy as the moor they had traversed earlier. She could feel every step since her shoes mysteriously disappeared. As she opened her eyes her senses seemed to fail her. Her eyes saw a gray mist all around her. Not as thick as the demon that had grabbed her, but thick enough that she couldn't see more than a few meters. As she stood up she her arms and her whole body dragged in time. There seemed to be four or five images following her until she stopped moving. Then they all caught up to her. She cried out into the mist and her voice dragged on itself like in a very large cavern.

"P-P-P-Pr-r-r-rue-ue-ue-ue. A-A-A-Are-re-re-re y-y-y-you-ou-ou-ou th-th-th-the-e-e-e-re-re-re-re?" she yelled very confused about the sound of her own voice.

"P-P-P-Pr-r-r-rue-ue-ue-ue. P-P-P-Pr-r-r-rue-ue-ue-ue.

P-P-P-Pr-r-r-rue-ue-ue-ue." she kept calling.

"Ph-Ph-Ph-Phee-ee-ee-eeb-b-b-bs-s-s-s-s-s-s-s! H-h-h-h-he-e-e-e-re-re-re-re !" she heard from somewhere.

Direction and distance met nothing. There was nothing to judge it by. Nothing in this world, wherever they were, was familiar. Phoebes brain felt cross-circuited, confused, almost an out-of-body experience. As she turned her head, the images blurred together until she stopped turning it. Then her view snapped together and seemed stable.

"We must be in the Gyntex world. Where ever that is!" Phoebes thought to herself.

After turning around twice, she finally saw something come toward her.

Prue had found her way to her, but she was moving very slowing waving her arms in front of her like a blind woman. Due to the time drag she appeared like she had many arms like a Hindu goddess.

"Ph-Ph-Ph-Phee-ee-ee-eeb-b-b-bs-s-s-s-s-s-s-s! Th-Th-Th-Tha-a-a-an-n-n-nk-k-k-k G-G-G-Go-o-o-od-d-d-d!" said Prue clutching Phoebe and trying to shake the weirdness of her voice out of her ears.

"O-o-o-oth-th-th-the-e-e-ers-rs-rs-rs-rs?" she asked trying to keep her words to a minimum.

Phoebes shook her head and motioned Prue to follow her. She really didn't know where she was going, but she had to find the others. They walk for a long time. No telling how long it had been. The smell of peat, though not strong, had permeated their clothes, hair and nose. The dampness and smell grew to a grating on their senses. Finally off in the distance, something large came into view. A large open courtyard fell of pillars, benches and some kind of altar and large table. Flowers covered the altar and blood stained the table. Small grooves were carved in the table to possibly to allow the blood to drain away. Brushes and trees provided walls and a natural canopy for a roof. Phoebes looked at the tables.

Prue said "S-s-s-sa-a-a-ac-cr-cr-cri-i-i-if-f-f-fi-i-i-ic-c-c-c-ce-e-e-es-s-s-s!"

Phoebes just nodded in agreement. Further touring the courtyard they found a cabinet behind the altar filled with odd tools that reminded Prue of surgical instruments. She picked one up and then dropped it when she realized it was probably used for the sacrifices. She didn't know whether they were human or not. Also in the cabinet was a very old book. Much order than their Book of Shadows. It was written in the same an ancient language that Prue had deciphered. Phoebes looked up at Prue with a puzzled expression. Prue looked back confused and shrugged at her sister.

Phoebes then called out, "P-p-p-pi-i-i-ip-p-p-per-er-er-er! P-p-p-pi-i-i-ip-p-p-per-er-er-er! P-p-p-pi-i-i-ip-p-p-per-er-er-er!"

Not another sound came back. They closed the cabinet. She pointed to each of them and then that they should sit down. If anyone were around, they would probably head for this ritual site. They sat on a bench and waited in silence.

Time dragged on. Minutes? Hours? Days? Prue and Phoebe couldn't tell.

Phoebes stood up. "N-n-n-n-o-o-o-o. L-L-L-Le-e-e-et-t-t-ts-s-s-s

g-g-g-go-o-o-o f-f-f-fi-i-i-id-d-d-d th-th-th-the-e-e-em-m-m-m!" she yelled at Prue.

"H-h-h-how-ow-ow-ow? G-g-g-ge-e-e-et-t-t-t l-l-l-lo-o-o-ost-st-st-st!

St-st-st-sta-a-a-ay-y-y-y. P-p-p-p-p-p-pl-l-l-l-l-lea-ea-ea-ea-ea-ea-eas-s-s-s-s-se-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-!" pleaded Prue.

Phoebes looked down like something had been taken from her. Then Prue motioned to her that Phoebes was all she had right now. The two sisters who at one time could barely stand each other now only had each other to depend upon. They embraced and sat back down. Phoebes was much calmer for..for..who knows how much longer. They didn't hunger, they didn't thirst, and they didn't tire. None of the laws of nature that they knew seem to apply in this place. Phoebe looked up and heard something. She put her hand to her ear to let Prue know. It was the sound of footsteps. With the dragging of the sound, it could have been a dozen or hundreds of them. Dark figures emerged from the mist. Dozens of people walked into the courtyard, including Piper, the professor, his computer technician, Dan Faulkner and Sandy Bartlett. The others were from all countries and nationalities from fairly recent origin. None spoke. Piper ran over to her sisters. She mouthed for them slowly "Thank God you're all right. I love you." and she held them tight. The others entered the courtyard. No one spoke. Dan came over and gave

Phoebe a big hug but looked at her sorrowfully. "You, too?" he mouthed. She nodded and hugged him tight. From behind the altar the mist started to grow darker. The mist became the Druid demon Gyntex. He had no form. He just drifted over the altar. Within his or her minds, everyone could feel his presence. Everyone, but the newest captives held back in terror. The professor, Shamus, Prue, Piper and Phoebe stepped forward to see their jailor.

He spoke to them telepathically. "Children of the world. Long was I weak. Long did no one pay homage to me. Now I have reached, far beyond my home. Stronger am I. Using the energy here, using the power to reach beyond, I will reach every where. Soon I will be everywhere. And all the world shall pay homage to me." Then the dark mist dispersed and was gone.

"H-h-h-h-how-ow-ow-ow-ow w-w-w-w-wor-or-or-or-or-orl-l-l-l-l-d-d-d-d?" said Phoebe as the everyone else held his or her ears. The excess sound was maddening.

Dan motioned to Phoebes. Using sign language he indicated that Gyntex was using his knowledge about the Internet to set up his file or kidnapping technique on many pages throughout the world. Before he had only used this one site. He had entered through the gap in the cable that ran through his swamp. He had been attracted to his name and then learned to modify the file for his own purposes.

The professor who had pen and pencil indicated that the courtyard was a re-creation of the original temple site used by the Druids. He had captured these people to draw off their life forces for his own power.

Piper asked by writing that can't they vanquish him? Prue took the professor over to the cabinet and showed him the ancient text. He appeared to recognize the strange language. They left him to read it for a while.

Some time later, he had translated a passage. It was an incantation he indicated that would rid the world of the demon. Prue responded that she and her sisters would take care of him. The professor looked skeptical, but he let them have the incantation.

Prue, Piper and Phoebes started to recite.

"P-p-p-p-pe-e-e-e-ep-p-p-p-p-p-t-t-t-t-te-e-e-e-en-n-n-n-n

y-y-y-y-ya-a-a-a-ag-g-g-g-gh-h-h-h-ho- o-o-o-ot-t-t-t-t

j-j-j-j-ju-u-u-u-ur-r-r-rr-y-y-y-y-y

g-g-g-g-go-o-o-o-ow-w-w-w-w-wc-c-c-c-ci-I-I-I-

it-t-t-t-ty-y-y-y-y.

P-p-p-p-pe-e-e-e-ep-p-p-p-p-p-t-t-t-t-te-e-e-e-en-n-n-n-n y-y-y-y-ya-a-a-a-ag-g- g-g-gh-h-h-h-ho-o-o-o-ot-t-t-t-t

j-j-j-j-ju-u-u-u-ur-r-r-rr-y-y-y-y-y g-g-g-g-go-o-o-o-ow-w-w-w-

w-wc-c-c-c-ci-I-I-I-it-t-t-t-ty-y-y-y-y

P-p-p-p-pe-e-e-e-ep-p-p-p-p-p-t-t-t-t-te-e-e-e-en-n-n-n-n y-

y-y-y-ya-a-a-a-ag-g-g-g-gh-h-h-h-ho-o-o-o-ot-t-t-t-t

j-j-j-j-ju-u-u-u-ur-r-r-rr-y-y-y-y-y g-g-g-g-go-

o-o-o-ow-w-w-w-w-wc-c-c-c-ci-i-i-i-it-t-t-t-ty-y-y-y-y

P-p-p-p-pe-e-e-e-ep-p-p-p-p-p-t-t-t-t-te-e- e-e-en-n-n-n-n

y-y-y-y-ya-a-a-a-ag-g-g-g-gh-h-h-h-ho-o-o-o-ot-t-t-t-t

j-j-j-j-ju-u-u-u-ur-r-r-rr-y-y- y-y-y

g-g-g-g-go-o-o-o-ow-w-w-w-w-wc-c-c-c-ci-I-I-I-it-t-t-t-ty-y-y-y-y"

Everyone there had their hands on their ears. The confusion was painful, but the Charmed Ones kept repeating it and repeating it. The mist reappeared about the altar. A woeful moan started low and then got louder eventually drawing out the chanting of the Charmed Ones. The mist lost its darkness and dispersed as the courtyard around them became indistinct and disappeared. The moor they had cross-reappeared with the hundred odd people standing there in their bare feet. At first the others didn't believe it, but cheer went up. The sisters got very excited and started hugging each other. Then they grabbed Dan, Shamus and the professor and started hugging them.

"We did it. We actually did it!" shouted Phoebes. "Boy do I like hearing the old sound of my voice. Whoa!"

"Man that was the m-most incr-redible thin. Who woulda thought the beastie even existed. Ther-re arrr thins that jest beyond our-r-r belief. How did ya know lassies?" he asked the Halliwell's.

"My sisters Prue and Piper and I are real witches. Things like this just seem to gravitate toward us. It's our job to protect the innocent against evil things. You were just an innocent involved in something a lot bigger," said Phoebes.

"And we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you very much." said Piper with a kiss.

"Yes, thank you, indeed. It was a very weird "beastie" too." said Prue with a slight grin.

At the Edinburgh office of Scotland Yard, the police started to identify the victims and contact their relatives. They would have had an incredible story, but Scotland Yard came up with the idea of an international kidnapping ring. They didn't want the notoriety of a supernatural occurrence or a recurrence of Druid worshiping in the Edinburgh area. The Halliwell sisters were quietly thanked, escorted back to the airport and given first class seats home courtesy of Scotland Yard.

"Now this is more like it," ringing for service. "No window to look at and someone else tends the bar for once. Walking around in all that mist must have cured my flying fear, said Piper.

Phoebe said coyly, "Can you imagine a witch that's scared of flying? You'd have to turn in your union card!"

"Phoebes, you've never flown on your own as a witch in your life." said Piper.

"Well, it would be a neat power! Anyway, at least we found Dan and solved the mystery of Sandy Bartlett's disappearance. Boy, do we have a tale for Morris." said Phoebes.

"Nothing he can file and a report about!" said Prue. "Officially Scotland Yard solved this one, not the SFPD. Morris won't be happy."

"But I'll never get this peat moss smell out of my hair! Yeech!' complained Piper.

"Don't forget our new shoes! Look at these!" cried Phoebes.

"Very nice. Now get some sleep. It's a long flight home and I still have to find myself a job. Good night, Phoebes." said Prue.

"Good night, big sister. Good night, Piper. Sweet dreams!" said Phoebes.

"I doubt it! Good night, Phoebes." said Piper.

And as the sun set over the Atlantic the Charmed Ones winged their way home.

THE END


End file.
